Apparatus for and method of decorating surface covering materials



July 28, 1936. F. G; ROTTMUND APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF DECORATING SURFACE COVERING MATERIALS Filed Feb. 23,1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l July z8, 1936.

F. G, ROTTMUND APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF DECORATING SURFACE COVERING MATERIALS Filed Feb. 23, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 28, 1936. F. G. ROTTMUND 2,048,971

APP'ARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF DECORATING SURFACE COVERING MATERIALS Filed Feb. 25, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 gmk G www# July 28 1936.- F. G. ROTTMUND 2,048,971

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF' DECORATING SURFACE COVERING MATERIALS Filed Feb. 25, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 July A28, l936- F. G. ROTTMUND 2,048,971

APPARATUS AND METHOD Of' DECORATING SURFACE COVERING MATERIALS Filed F'eb. 25, 1932 5 SheeS-Sheeb 5l CilA Patentedl July 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD 0F DECO- RATING SURFACE COVE-RING MATE- RIALS Application February 23, 1932, Serial No. 594,535

44 Claims.

This invention relates to the printing art and is herein particularly described as applied to the manufacture of printed surface coverings of the felt base type. It is herein specifically described as applied to the manufacture of surface coverings having portions only of their area covered by a printed pattern simulating the appearance of natural marble. The other portions of the area of the surface covering are decorated with any suitable pattern adapted to harmonize with the marbleized areas.

Printed surface coverings simulating natural marble in appearance have been known for some time as disclosed in my prior United States Patent No. 1,773,063. Such coverings have been formed by passing a. web of felt base or similar material under some suitable color applying means which deposited the paint in worm-like applications upon a base coat. The web traveled from said color applying means to a mash block which served to fuse the worm-like applications` ,into the base coat. The resulting marble imitation wasnecessarily very crude, devoid of ne graining effects, and characterized by mechanical repeats.

In some cases designs have been printed over portions of marbleized patterns to break the continuity of the marble pattern and to obtain distinctive and novel decorative effects. 'I'he eects obtained by said process have proved to be exceptionally attractive, but the process is inherently bad because it is wasteful and extravagant. A pattern simulating natural marble involves the intimate mixture of a plurality of colors. It is impossible to print a marble pattern with a print block. Accordingly it has heretofore been considered impossible to coat a felt base with a marbleized design extending over only those portions which are to appear as simulations of natural marble in the final product. The portions of the coating of paint simulating the appearance of natural marble which are later covered by a different design serve no useful purpose.

Another serious disadvantage of patterns of surface coverings attempting to simulate the appearance of natural marbles heretofore has been the presence of brush marks visible in the completed patterns. The surface covering material must be fed through the printing machine with an intermittent motion to permit printing of various designs thereon by the conventional printing blocks. The portion of the surface covering material under the paint spreading means, at the time the feeding movement of the surface covering material is halted, receives a distinctive v to provide means for synchronizing the various paint applying means in my coatingapparatus so that designs other than those simulating the appearance of natural marbles may be interposed between the areas covered by the marblelzed designs to complete the decorative coating on the surface covering. It is a further object of my invention to provide means for causing a uniform relative motion between an intermittently moving web of surface covering material and a continuously reciprocating paint spreading mechanism. It is a. further object of my invention to provide a coating apparatus that will eliminate brush marks which have heretofore been incident to the striating of printed patterns. Itis a. further object of my invention to provide a coating apparatus that may be readily applied to and removed from a conventional printing machine as a unit with a minimum expenditure of labor.

By my invention it is possible at a low cost to obtain a surface covering which has the highly desirable qualities from the standpoint of appearance of natural marble, without any apparent repetitions of pattern and with a soft blending of color not heretofore obtainable in printed goods. I apply a color or colors to predetermined areas on a web of surface covering material, spread the same longitudinally and laterally of the web, and then engage the colors thus spread and further spread them. Preferably the rst spreading action is to form sinuous streaks of color. I prefer to perform this first spreading action by means of a soft flexible brush which is moved laterally and longitudinally over the surface of the web. The second spreading operation is accomplished by means of a thin flexible doctor blade which serves to smooth the coating as well as to impart to it the characteristic appearance of natural marble.

It is possible also to apply the marbleized pattern over only those units which are to appear as simulations of natural marble in the nal product. This effects an enormous economy in the amount of paint required to coat a given area of surface covering material. For example, if the finished pattern is to show a marbleined design over half the area and non-marbleized designs over the other half, my process will require approximately two-thirds of the amount of paint required by prior processes wherein the marbleized design was applied over the entirearea of the surface covering material and the nonmarbleizeddesigns were obtained by over printing. My' process would save one-half the paint used to form the marbleized areas of such a pattern. Since the cost of paint is a maior consideration in the production of surface coverings of the i'elt base type, it is obvious that this saving cf paint is of prime importance.

In prior art processes it has been necessary to apply a marbleized design over the entire surface area of the web of surface covering marial being decorated. The design not simulating marble was then overprinted on portions of the marbleized design. This practice results in a paint coat of non-uniform thickness, the areas not simulating marble being covered with a paint layer approximately twice the thickness of the paint coat over the marbleized areas. The lack of uniformity in the thickness of the paint coat introduces -a very serious dimculty in maturing the surface covering material. It is impossible to obtain even maturing of the paint coat without extremely accurate control oi' the drying characteristics and viscosity of the constituent paints. Such control is entirely too costly for commercial operation. If the material is stoved long enough to mature the thicker portions of paint. the thinner portions are often too brittle, and if the thinner portions are properly matured, the thicker portions are generally too soft.

Another distinctive advantage'of my invention is the elimination of the characteristic brush marks which have always been present in brushed paint patterns. It is desirable to use block printing machines; of the type now generally employed in the iioor covering industry, to apply portions of the decorative pattern to the surface covering material. However, the use of such machines introduces serious problems, particularly because it is necessary to move the surface covering material through the printing machine in an intermittent manner. y In order to obtain the best results it is important that the brush and doctor employed be maintained in relative movement with respect to the material at all times, as otherwise marks will be left on the product which will mar the beauty of the design and decrease the value of the'surface covering.

I accomplish the result desired by providing an oscillating brush and doctor which are reciprocated back and forth longitudinally of the machine and are so controlled that the change in direction of the reclprocatory movement of the brush and doctor occurs when the surface covering material itself is moving. 'I'he speed of the brush and doctor relative to the material ls not particularly important so long as there is a reasonable degree of relative movement at all times and this relative movement is substantially uniform. They brush and doctor, therefore, will be moving part of the time with the surface covering material along the bed of the machine but at a different rate. The brush and doctor will commence their return stroke just before the material being decorated comes to rest for the printing step. Immediately before the brush and doctor have completed their return movement, the material will have again commenced its forward movement. Accordingly, it will be seen that there is never any period at which there is no relative movement between the web of surface covering material being decorated and the brush or doctor.

My invention will be readily understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment of my invention in which;

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustratingthe eiiects of the various printing blocks and color spreading apparatus on a sheet oi' surface ccvering material;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my lcolor spreading means with parts broken away to facilitate the illustration of its component parts;

Figure 3 is a plan view of my color spreading apparatus:

Figure 4 is a front elevation of my color spreading apparatus;

Figure 5 is an end elevation lcoiringy in the direction of thearrowAofFigurehand Figureiiisacrosssectionalview ontheline VI-VI of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure`1, the reference numeral 2 indicates a pin band movable over a pair of rolls I and l. A sheet l of surface covering material, such as felt base, is fed from a supply roll l to the pin band 2. The sheet 5 is fed through 30 the printing apparatus intermittently. During the periods of rest the sheet i is acted on by the printing blocks 1, l, l, I0, Il, I2, and i3. 'I'he printing blocks 1 and I apply marbleizing" col'- ors to the web of surface covering material. By the term "marbleizing colors" I mean those colors which are later brushed and smoothed to form marbleized or other striated designs. rAlthough I have shown blocks for applying these colors, any suitable means may be employed for this purpose. Other means may be employed, in conjunction with said blocks 1 and 8, to increase the number of marbleizing colors applied to the sheet i. 'I'he printing block 9 applies a base color over the colors applied by the blocks 1 and 8.

It is possible to apply the base color directly to the felt base and to apply the marbleizing colors on top of the base color. However. the application of the marbleizing colors underneath the base color is advantageous in that the marbleizing colors extend throughout the thickness oi' the paint coat. 'I'he striations extend all the way to the felt so that the surface covering material retains its striated appearance even after the top surface has been worn away.

'I'he marbleizing unit il is provided with a brush` which spreads the paint into sinuous streaks and brings the marbleizing colors applied by the printing blocks 1 and 8 to'the surface of the color applied by the color block il. Themarbleizing unit I4 is also provided with a doctor which smooths the brushed paint and imparts to the surface covering material the appearance of natural marble.

'I'he blocks ill, il, I2, and i3 are conventional 65 printing blocks. This offsetting compensates-for the drag of the brush so that the marbleized design is correctly positioned in relation to the other designs of the completed pattern. If the blocks 1, 5. and 9 applied their colors in the exact space reserved for the marbleize'd design in the c ompleted pattern, the drag of the brush would wipe substantially all the paint off small areas in front of the marbleized dign and spoil the pattern. Instead of oifsetting the blocks 1, 5. and 9, the same eifect may be obtained by oifsetting the paint applying portions oi the blocks. It will be obvious that the blocks I5, II, I2, and I3 may be oil'set to obtain the same result.

'I'he marbleizing unit I4 includes a pair of channel irons I5 which extend across the width of a conventional printing machine. 'I'he channel members I5 are connected by cross rails I5 and I1. An intermediate pair of cross rails I5 and I9 serve to support the mechanism for imparting oscillatory motion to the marbleizing elements. The cross rails I5 and i1 are provided with angle brackets by which the marbleizing unit is supported on the printing machine. The cross rails I5 and are of sufiicient length to occupy the space ordinarily taken by two adjacent printing blocks. The brackets 2|| are provided with elongated slots 2| which are adapted to fit around a lug on a conventional printingmac'hine.

The brackets 25 vare formed with a depending flange 22 provided with a screw threaded 'opening 23. When the marbleizing unit is positioned on the printing machine clamping bolts 24 extending through the openings 23 serve to lock the marbleizing unit in place. The clamp bolts 24 Vare provided with lock nuts 25. The clamp bolts 24 are adapted to adjust the longitudinal position of the marbleizing unit with respect to the printing machine within the limits permitted by the length of the slots 2|.

The channel members I5 are provided with brackets 25 which serve to support a slide rail 21. A slide 25 is mounted on the slide rail 21. The slide 25 is provided with an enlarged portion 29 which has an elongated slot therein. 'Ihe slide 25 is provided at one end with a journal 3|. The journal 3| serves to support one end of a shaft 32. Thejournal 3| is provided with an integral gear segment 33 adapted to engage with a worm 34 on the end of a shaft 35. A hand wheel 35 is secured to the upper end of the shaft 35. The hand wheel 35 may be rotated to effect angu lar adjustment of the shaft 32 the end of which is secured in the end of the journal 3|. Another shaft 31 is supported at one end in a journal 38 having an integral gear segment 39 engaging a worm on one end of the shaft 4|. The other end of the shaft 4| is provided with a hand wheel 42 so that the angular position of the shaft 31 may be adjusted in the same' manner as that of the shaft 32. The opposite ends of the shafts 32 and 31 are supported in bearings 43 secured at opposite ends of a slide 44 similar to the slide 25. The slide 44 is mounted on a slide rail 45 supported in brackets 45 secured to the channel members I5.

The shaft 32 is provided with a plurality of brackets 41 adapted to support a marbling brush 45. 'I'he back 49 of the brush is provided with an up-turned member adapted to be held by the brackets 41. The shaft 31 is provided with a. plurality of depending plates 5I to the lower end of which an angle member 52 is secured. The bottom leg of the angle 52 serves to hold a thin flexible metal doctor blade 53.

55 is mounted in bearings 5I secured to the lo cross rails I5. 'Ihe opposite'end of the shaft 55 supports the gear 59 which is in mesh withthe crank gear55 on the slide 44. One gear 59 is engaged by a gear 52 which is supported on a shaft 53 rotating in a bearing 54 mounted on the l cross rail I1. The shaft 53 extends through the bearing 54 and is provided at its outer end with a sprocket 55 which may be driven from any suitable source of power (not shown).

Rotation of the sprocket 55 turns the shaft 53 20 to which it is secured. The gear 52 is turned withv the shaft 53 and imparts rotation to the gear 59. The gears 59 are connected by the shaft 55 so that both gears are rotated simultaneously.

The gears 55 rotate the crank gears 55 and irn- 25 part reciprocatory motion to the slides 25 and 44 by means of the pins 51 which are coniined in the slots 35. Accordingly, it will be seen that the marbleizng brush 48 and the doctor 53 are reciprocated simultaneously. 33

The reciprocatory mechanism is so regulated that as the surface covering material moves through the printing machine, the brush and doctor are moved in the same direction as the surface covering material at half the speed of the 3 surface covering material. The surface covering material moves in the printing machine a distance of 18 inches and then stops automatically while the printing blocks are lowered. The

time periods of travel and rest of the surface covering material moving intermittently through the printing machine are equal. While the surface covering material is being moved a distance of 18 inches the brush and doctor are moved a distance of 9 inches in the same direction so that 45 the relative motion between the brush and doctor and the surface covering material is 9 inches. Just before the travel of the surface covering material is stopped the direction of travel of the brush and doctor is reversed and the brush and Y doctor are moved 9 inches in the opposite direction during the period the surface covering material is at rest in the printing machine so that the relative motion between the brush and doctor and the surface covering material is the same as when the surface covering material is moving. The direction of travel of the brush and doctor is again reversed immediately after the surface covering material begins to move.

The reciprocatory mechanism is so timed that m the relative movement between the brush and doctor and the intermittently moving web of surface covering material is constant and is substantially uniform at all times.

One end of the shaft 53 is mounted in the bear- C;

ing 55 which is supported on the cross rail I9. A gear 51 is keyed to the shaft 53. 'I'he gear 51 meshes with a gear 55 keyed to the sleeve 59. The sleeve 59 traverses the space between the cross rails I8 and I5 and is supported by the bear- 71 ings 10 mounted on the cross rails. The sleeve fits loosely over the shaft 55 so that the shaft 55 and the sleeve may be rotated independently. A pair of bevel gears 1I is keyed to the sleeve 59. v

A T-shaped bracket 12 is secured to the shaft 7;

oscillating motion to the `marbleiaingf brush Il.,

The doctor blade I is oscillated by similar mechanism' except that the pin 1l is closer to the centerofitsdisklisothattheoscillatingstroke of the' doctor blade is less than the 'oscillating stroke of the brush. It will be obvious that the positionofthepins llmaybevariedatwillto adjust the oscillating stroke of either the brush 'or doctor to any desired amplitude.

The pin bands 2 are providedwith a plurality of pins 1I which project through the web of surface covering material 5 to insure positive and accurate movement of the web through the printing machine. The pins 1l are necessary to insure positive feed of the surface covering material, but are objectionable under the marbleiaing unit because of interference with the oscillating stroke of the doctor blade Il. The pins are spaced together so closely that it is impossibleto synchronize the oscillatory motion of the blade so as to move-it in and out between the pins without damage to the blade or pins. I have overcome this disadvantage vin my apparatus by the provision of a metal plate t0, positioned under my marbleizing unit I4, over which the web of surface covering material must pass. 'Ihe plate lll is cut away, as indicated at 8l, to allow the pin bands 2 to pass thereunder.

The pins I9 form small projections on the upper surface of the surface of the web 5 when they project therethrough. These projections remain on the web after the web has been separated from the pin bands and are suiliciently rigid to force the doctor blade 53 out of contact with the paint film so as to render it useless. Accordingly, I have provided means for flattening the projections formed by the pins. A pair oi' arms I2 is secured to the front channel iron I5. 'I'he arms 82 support a shaft B3 to each end of which a bell crank 84 is secured. A roller I5 ismounted on the free end of one arm of the bell crank 8l. The other arm of the bell crank is provided with a counterweight I6 adapted to force the roller It against the web of surface covering material. 'I'he counterweight is secured to the bell crank Il by means of a set screw l1. The rollers 8l are positioned directly over the projections formed in the surface covering material by the pins 18 and are forced downwardly with sumcient pressure to flatten the projections, but not sufilcient to interfere with the travel of the web. The rollers are narrow enough so that they do not run over the paint applied by the blocks 1, l, and 9.

The combined oscillatory and reciprocatory movement of the brush 4B serves to bring the marbleizlng colors applied by the printing blocks l and I to the surface and to give it a sinuous, wavy eect. The constant relative motion of the brush with respect to the web D is opposite to the direction of travel of the web 5. Accordingly, the brush Il has the tendency to drag the color applied by the blocks 1, B, and t slightly to the rear of the areas to which the color has been applied. Since the relative movement between the brush and the web is substantially uniform the amount of drag is the same in all cases and may be compensated i'or` by proper adjustment of the blocks aosepvi 1, l, and l or the blocks Il, Ii, I2. and I3. The thin flexible doctor blade Il smooths the brushed colors and gives the final product an appearance closely simulating that of natural marble.

The amount of color applied by the printing 5 blocks '|,I,and0whichremalnsinthoseareasy destined for non-marbleised designs in the na'l pattern is so small as to be practically ncgliliblc. Accordingly. the unal decorative coating is of substantially uniform thickness over the entire web of surface covering material.

Itwillbe seenthatIha'veinvented a newand improved surface covering material as well as a method of and apparatus for producing the same. Although I have described my invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that various features thereof may be modified without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the specific details disclosed except as limited by the 20 appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, means for applying flowable decorating material to a web, a brush, means 25 to oscillate said brush, a doctor. and means to oscillate said doctor.

2. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, a brush, means to oscillate and reciprocate said brush, a doctor, and means to oscillate and reciprocate said doctor.

3. In an apparatus for decorating surface covering material, a conveyor adapted to intermittfntly feed a web of material to be decorated, a brush, vmeans to impart to said brush a substantlally uniform motion relatively to the web. and means to oscillate said brush.

4. In an apparatus for decorating surface cov- ,ering material, a conveyor adapted to intermittentlyfeed a web of material to be decorated, a brush, means to cause a substantially uniform relative motion between the web and the brush, a

Idoctor, and means to reciprocate said doctor.

oring material has been applied, a brush for brushing said coloring material over the surface of the web, and a doctor adapted to smooth the coating of brushed coloring material, said brush and doctor being arranged to have a constant motion with respect to the web.

'1. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering materiaL-'a conveyor for intermittently feeding a web of surface covering material to which coloring material has been applied, means for brushing said coloring material over the surface of the web, and a doctor adapted to smooth the coating of brushed coloring material, means to oscillate said doctor, and means to reciprocate said doctor.

8. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, means for feeding a web of surface covering material, means for applying color upon areas spaced both longitudinally and transversely of the web, a brush, means for causing a substantially uniform relative motion between the web and the brush, and m for oscillating said brush. r

'9; In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, means to apply a plurality of colors to a web of surface covering material. a pin band for moving said web longitudinally, oscillating means for spreading said colors, and means for raising said web so that the top surface lies above the tops of the pins when the web is under said color spreading means.

l0. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, means to apply a plurality of colors to a web of surface covering material, a pin band for moving said web longitudinally, oscillating means for spreading said colors, and means for positioning the pin points of said pin band below the top surface of said web adjacent said color spreading means.

11. In an apparatus for decorating surface covering material, means to apply a plurality of colors to af web of surface covering material, a pin band for moving said web longitudinally, oscillating means for spreading said colors, and a plate undersaid color spreading means adapted to raise said web from said pin band far enough so that said pin band will not interfere with the oscillating stroke of the color spreading means.

12. In an apparatus for decorating surface covering material, means to apply a plurality of paints to predetermined non-contiguous areas longitudinally of a web of surface covering material. and means to mix said paintsto form striated designs and to move said paints so that said striated designs occupy areas offset longitudinally from the areas to which the component paints are applied.

13. In an apparatus for decorating surface covering material, printing blocks to apply a plurality of paints to predetermined spaced areas longitudinally of a web of surface covering material, a brush adapted to mix said paints to form a striated design, said brush being adapted to drag said paints so as to position the striated design in predetermined areas offset longitudinally from the areas to which the paints are applied, and printing means, offset with respect to said printing blocks sudicient to compensate for said drag, adapted to apply color to previously uncolored areas.

14. In an apparatus for decorating surface covering material,.means to apply a plurality oi.'

Y paints adapted to form a striated design to spaced areas longitudinally of a web of surface covering material and offset longitudinally from the position the strated design is to occupy in the finished pattern, and means to move said paints to the position to be occupied by the striated design in the finished pattern.

15. In an apparatus for decorating a web of means.

l 16. In an apparatus for decorating a web' of surface covering material, means to apply a plurality of colors to a web of surface covering material, a doctor adapted to smooth said colors, a pin band provided with a plurality of projecting pins for conveying said web from said color applying means to said doctor, and means for removing the projecting pins out of the path of said doctor. j

17. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, means to apply. a plurality of colors to a web of surface covering material, a doctor adapted to smooth said colors, `il. pin band provided with a. plurality of projecting pins for conveying said web from said color applying means to-said doctor. means for removing the projecting pins out of the path of said doctor,

and means to smooth the portions of the web that have been raised out of the plane of the web b contact with the pins.

18. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, means to apply a plurality of colors to a web of surface covering material, oscillating means for spreading said colors, a pin band provided with a plurality of -projecting pins for conveying said web from said color applying means to said color spreading means, a plate undervsaid color spreading means adapted to remove the projecting pins out of the path of said color spreading means, and means to smooth the portions of the web that have been raised out of the plane of the web by contact with the pins.

19. In a method of applying a decorative coating to a web of surface covering material, the steps of applying coloring material to a web of surface covering material, brushing said coloring material with a. continuous oscillatory and reciprocatory movement, and then smoothing the layer of brushed coloring material.

20. In a method of decorating a web of surface covering material to simulate natural marble, the steps of applying a plurality of marbleizing colors to a web of surface covering material, at least some of the marbleizing colors occupying diderent areas on the web to be decorated, applying a base color over said marbleizing colors, and brushing said colors to expose said marbleizing colors over portions of said base color.

21. In a method of decorating a web of surface covering material, the steps of intermittently feeding a web of surface covering material, applying color over areas spaced longitudinally of said web, brushing said color continuously, and applying color to the uncovered areas of said web to flatten projections formed thereon by said pin band prior to said color spreading operation.

23. In a. method of decorating a web of surface covering material, the steps of applying a plurality of colors to a web of surface covering material, moving said web in contact with a pin band to position it for a color spreading operation, and raising said web out of contact with said pin band during said color spreading operation so that the pinband will not interfere with said color spreading operation. p

24. In a method of applying a printed pattern. to a. web surface covering material, the steps of printing one portion of said pattern in longitudinally offset relationship to another portion of said pattern and brushing one portion of said pattern to move it into a predetermined position with respect to the other portion. v

25. In a method of decorating a web of surface covering material-sothat a portion of said material simulates natural marble, the steps of applying the colors adapted to form the striated design at spaced intervals longitudinally of a web 0f surface covering material slightly in advance longitudinally of the position the striated design is to occupy in the finished pattern, and then brushing said colors to move them into the space to be occupied by the striated design.

28. In a method of decorating a web of surface covering material, the steps of applying a plurality of colors to a portion only of a Iweb of surface covering material, spreading said colors laterally, smoothing them with a continuous oscillatory movement to produce a striated design extending over selected portions longitudinally of the web, and applying non-strlated designs to other portions of the web.

27. In a method of decorating a web of surface covering material including the step of brushing a plurality of colors to produce a striated design, the .step of applying the colors to form the design at spaced intervals longitudinally of the web in a position advanced from the position the striated design is to occupy in the finished pattern ii. distance sufficient to compensate for thedragofthebrush.

28. In the method of forming irregularly blended designs, the steps consisting in applying marbleizing color to areas which are to exhibit marbled portions in the final design, applying a base color both upon areas already covered with the marbleizing color and-upon intervening and previously unprinted areas, and thereafter bringing a portion of the marbleising color to the surface.

30. The method defined in claim 29 in which the marbleizing color is brought through and blended with the base color by means of a brush.

31. In the method of forming irregularly blended designs, the steps consisting in applying marbleizing color compositions to limited areas of a base, applying a base color over substantially the entire area to represent a marbled appearance, including the marbleizing color compositions, and thereafter intermingling the base color and marbleizing color compositions while wet to expo at least a portion of the latter.

32. In the method of forming irregularly blended designs. the steps consisting in applying marbleinlng color composition along irregular lines to a base, applying a base color over substantially the entire area to represent a marbled appearance, including the marbleizing color composition, and intermingling the wet colors irregularly to form a veining simulating natural marble. i n

33. In an apparatus for decorating a web of l surface covering material, a conveyor for intermittently feeding a web of surface covering material to which coloring material has been applied,

'- spaced areas longitudinally of a web of surface covering material, printing means for applying non-striated designs to other areas of said web, striating means interposed between said color applying means and said printing means effective for strlating the color composition applied by the color applying means upon relative movement between the web and the striatlng means, a carrier for intermittently moving said web in equal moves sequentially into operative relationship with respect to said color applying means and said printing means, the printingmeans serving to determine design areas on the web being decorated, the distance between the color applying means and the printing means being such that upon equal moves of the web thereunder, the color applying means applies color, with respect to a given design area on the web, in advance of the position on said area to which the striating means will drag the color composition, the amount of said advance being substantially equal to the apparent drag, whereby a completely decorated web exhibits the striated color in desired relationship to the design areas determined by the printing means.

35. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, a conveyor adapted to move a web of surface covering material to be decorated, means for applying a plurality of color compositions to said web, a brush adapted for engagement with said web to striate said color compositions upon movement of said web and means acting upon substantially the entire width of the web to further spread said color and to obliterate brush marks formed in said color compositions.

36. Apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material comprising means for applying base and marbleizing color compositions to a web, a brush arranged at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the web for engaging the color compositions to striate the same, a smoothing doctor adapted to engage said striated color compositions and means for moving the web longitudinally under the brush and doctor and in engagement therewith.

37. In a method of decorating a web of surface i covering material, the steps consisting in applying a plurality of color compositions upon predetermined areas at spaced intervals longitudinally of a web of surface covering material te be decorated, striating said color compositions iongitudinally within said predetermined areas, and lling in the uncovered areas with non-striat-ed designs.

38. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, a conveyor adapted to intermittently feed a web of material to be decorated, means for applying color compositions to said web, a doctor adapted to engage said color compositions and means to impart to said doctor a reciprocatory and oscillatory movement.

39. In an apparatus for decorating a web of impart thereto a substantially uniform motion relative to said web.

40. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, a conveyor adapted to 5 intermittently feed a web of material to be dec- 5 decorated areas.

41. In an apparatus for decorating surface covering material, means including a printing block for applying paint compositions to predetermined areas spaced longitudinally and transversely of a web of surface covering material, a striating device operable on said paint compositions to striate the same and printing means offset with respect to said printing block suicient to compensate for the drag of the striating device and effective for applying paint composition to previously uncolored areas in proper alignment with the striated areas.

42. In the method of decorating a web of 'surface covering material, the steps consisting in applying a plurality of paint compositions to said web and striating said paint compositions with a continuous oscillatory and reciprocatory movement. l

43. In the method of decorating a web of surface covering material, the steps consisting in intermittently moving a web of surface covering material to be decorated, applying a plurality of paint compositions to said web and smoothing said compositions by doctoring with a continuous oscillatory and reciprocatory movement.

44. In the method of decorating a web of surface covering material, the steps consisting in applying marbleizing color composition to a web to be decorated, applying a base color composition over said marbleizing color, said color Compositions occupying predetermined areas to represent striated designs in the finished product and being spaced both longitudinally and transversely over said web, engaging the wet color with a doctor blade, moving the web intermittently, longitudinally under the doctor and laterally and longitudinally moving the doctor to spread and smooth the color compositions.

FRED G. ROTTMUND.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

` Patent No. 2,048,971.

July 28, 1936.

FRED C. ROTTMUND.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: f Page 2, second Column, line 75, after "between" and page 6; first column, line 27, claim 27, before "design" insert the word strlated; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of September, A. D. 1936.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

insert the words corresponding points on;

impart thereto a substantially uniform motion relative to said web.

40. In an apparatus for decorating a web of surface covering material, a conveyor adapted to 5 intermittently feed a web of material to be dec- 5 decorated areas.

41. In an apparatus for decorating surface covering material, means including a printing block for applying paint compositions to predetermined areas spaced longitudinally and transversely of a web of surface covering material, a striating device operable on said paint compositions to striate the same and printing means offset with respect to said printing block suicient to compensate for the drag of the striating device and effective for applying paint composition to previously uncolored areas in proper alignment with the striated areas.

42. In the method of decorating a web of 'surface covering material, the steps consisting in applying a plurality of paint compositions to said web and striating said paint compositions with a continuous oscillatory and reciprocatory movement. l

43. In the method of decorating a web of surface covering material, the steps consisting in intermittently moving a web of surface covering material to be decorated, applying a plurality of paint compositions to said web and smoothing said compositions by doctoring with a continuous oscillatory and reciprocatory movement.

44. In the method of decorating a web of surface covering material, the steps consisting in applying marbleizing color composition to a web to be decorated, applying a base color composition over said marbleizing color, said color Compositions occupying predetermined areas to represent striated designs in the finished product and being spaced both longitudinally and transversely over said web, engaging the wet color with a doctor blade, moving the web intermittently, longitudinally under the doctor and laterally and longitudinally moving the doctor to spread and smooth the color compositions.

FRED G. ROTTMUND.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

` Patent No. 2,048,971.

July 28, 1936.

FRED C. ROTTMUND.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: f Page 2, second Column, line 75, after "between" and page 6; first column, line 27, claim 27, before "design" insert the word strlated; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of September, A. D. 1936.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

insert the words corresponding points on; 

